


Mincemeat

by torakowalski



Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2005-10-16
Updated: 2005-10-16
Packaged: 2017-10-22 00:56:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,194
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/231875
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/torakowalski/pseuds/torakowalski
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It was late in the afternoon when Radek heard the familiar sound of his staff – the best and brightest of Earth's scientists – dropping impossibly valuable Ancient technology onto unforgiving workbenches and choking off giggles; a sure sign that Colonel Sheppard had entered the labs.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Mincemeat

It was late in the afternoon when Radek heard the familiar sound of his staff – the best and brightest of Earth's scientists – dropping impossibly valuable Ancient technology onto unforgiving workbenches and choking off giggles; a sure sign that Colonel Sheppard had entered the labs. This time however, it was not accompanied by pleas for the Colonel to press, touch, or breath on various objects.

Afraid the world had ended, Radek looked up. And up. The Colonel was a tall man, Radek was not. And standing right in front of where Radek sat the Colonel was almost as giant-like as the terrifying Ronon-man.

“Colonel? Should you not be in resting?”

Sheppard smiled. His face was flushed and his eyes still had the film-like quality which Radek found so alarming. For the first three days Rodney had dismissed Sheppard’s sniffing and hacking cough as hypochondria – a statement which sent several people into convulsions – then Sheppard had almost passed out while visiting them in the lab and Rodney had changed his tune to “The man has flu. For goodness sake give him some room.”

“Hey, Doc.” Sheppard’s voice was raspy. “You seen Rodney?”

“No, he is…” Radek was distracted by Sheppard’s sweatshirt. Or rather, the sweatshirt Sheppard was wearing, for it was not Sheppard’s. It was a black, impossibly soft sweatshirt, several sizes too large for the Colonel, with MIT embroidered on the front. And, although Radek could not currently see it, the letters GRU on the back. He had spent months sitting behind Rodney in labs distracted by the letters, trying to work out what they stood for. Eventually, after the siege, he had asked. Rodney had looked at him, then smiled. “Geniuses R Us,” he’d said proudly, “The MIT MENSA society.”

“Doc?” Sheppard’s voice pushed through Radek’s confusion and Radek shook his head. It was not the Colonel wearing McKay’s clothes that had distracted him; he had gotten over that many months ago. No, it was the way the front pocket appeared to be wiggling.

“I… yes, Colonel. Rodney is running simulations. He should not be much longer.”

The Colonel smiled and nodded, leaning back against Radek’s bench. His hand kept disappearing into his front pocket, and every now and then he would wince and the hand would appear sporting curious scratches.

“Colonel?”

“Yeah?” Sheppard smiled his innocent smile. The one which fooled Radek as little as it did anyone anymore.

“Why is..?” He decided not to ask. If it was good Rodney would tell him anyway. “Would you like to sit, Colonel?”

Sheppard sank down gratefully onto the stool Radek pulled out for him. For once, he did not sprawl or part his legs impossibly wide. Instead, he sat up reasonably straight – impossibly straight, considering this was Colonel Sheppard with flu – and kept his knees together so the… thing… in his pocket was supported.

Radek mentally shrugged and turned back to his report but was distracted one minute later by Sheppard cursing. Looking up he found the Colonel sucking ruefully on one finger.

“Colonel what is..?”

He didn’t get to finish his question for at that moment the lab door opened and Rodney came in. His eyes narrowed when he saw Sheppard and he hurried over – failing miserably as always at appearing nonchalant.

“John? Carson told you to stay in bed.”

Sheppard smiled up at him. It was the winning smile this time. The one which still worked more often than not. “I got bored. And I’ve got something to show you.”

He beckoned Rodney closer, which basically meant Rodney was plastered against Sheppard’s back, one hand on his shoulder for support. “What?”

Sheppard glanced up at Radek and Radek was just about to excuse himself when Sheppard winked and put his hand back into his pocket, extracting it a moment later. He had a tiny, fluffy, black and white… animal… cradled in the palm of his hand.

Radek instinctively moved back a little, but Rodney, amazingly, leant even closer, “Is that a cat?”

Sheppard grinned, “It’s a kind of cat,” he agreed, “Wanna keep him?”

Rodney’s eyes bulged – fairly unattractively in Radek’s opinion, but Sheppard’s expression was delighted. “Where did you get him?”

“It’s a her. I liberated her from the Athosians.”

“Liberated?” Radek asked at the same moment as Rodney said – without the question mark – “Stole.”

“Liberated.” Sheppard answered them both at once. “They were going to _eat_ her. Apparently cats… or whatever she is… are a delicacy on Athos.”

Rodney’s expression darkened and he bent down, rubbing his finger under the “cat’s” chin and muttering, “I’m never going to look at Teyla the same way.”

“We can keep her, right?” Sheppard asked hopefully.

Rodney didn’t look up from the cat-thing… or more accurately, the kitten-thing. He was rubbing her white belly. “Hmm?”

Sheppard winked at Radek again, “I’ll take that as a yes.”

They continued to croon over the kitten, which Sheppard insisted on calling Mince “For Mincemeat, you know?” however many times Rodney told him cats did not appreciate irony, until Carson Beckett came into the lab and stood over them clucking disapprovingly.

“Colonel, I told you to stay in bed. And is that a _cat_?”

“Is a cat thing. Apparently it is liberated food,” Radek said before the other two could answer, “Hi, Carson.”

Carson’s scowl faded a little, “Radek. I’m surprised at you, encouraging these two.”

Radek held up his hands, smiling. “Me? I am innocently trying to do my work. They are cruelly distracting me from vital discoveries.”

Carson returned the smile, “That I believe.” Then he turned to Sheppard, who Radek decided was not wearing a knowing smirk or anything humiliating like that. “Colonel, are you going to go back to bed, or do I have to readmit you to the infirmary?”

Sheppard held his hands up in surrender, “Okay, okay. I’m going.” He passed Mince over to Rodney and stood up, grabbing the desk suddenly as he straightened and muttered, “Whoa!”

“John?” Rodney was on his feet at once, Mince clasped safely in one hand, the other hand on Sheppard’s shoulder.

“I’m fine, totally fine.” Sheppard reaching to take the cat back, “It’s kinda like a Ferris wheel.”

“Right, come on Colonel, I’m taking you home.” Carson put a hand on Sheppard’s back and propelled him out of the lab, “And don’t think I’m not going to ask why you have a cat.”

*

It was early evening when Rodney called Radek over the radio and invited him around to watch a movie. Or as he put it, “John is whining that he’s bored and the cat is scratching everything in sight. Come and keep me sane.”

When Radek arrived, he found the Colonel, Wraith killer and terror of the Genii, curled up in a mass of blankets drinking cocoa and shivering. Mince was, indeed, leaping around the room scratching everything that stood still, and Rodney even when he didn’t. And… Carson sat in the room’s only armchair watching them all with his usual slightly confused smirk. Radek glanced at Rodney but only received an innocent look – one Sheppard had obviously taught him.

“Radek, welcome. Come and join the mad house.” Rodney ushered him into the room. Then he sat down beside Sheppard leaving Radek standing in the middle of the room with no idea where to sit.

Carson smiled at him, and Radek gravitated toward him, perching on the desk beside Carson’s chair.

The movie Rodney and Sheppard had chosen was _Serenity_ , which Radek found very impressive. Or, as Carson put it, “How the bloody hell did you get hold of that?”

Sheppard just laughed, then started coughing painfully, which Radek took as a sign not to continue the questioning.

About half way through, Radek glanced across at the bed and found Colonel Sheppard had fallen asleep, one arm wrapped around Rodney’s waist and his face against Rodney’s side. Mince was curled in a ball on Rodney’s other side, just within reach of Sheppard’s lax fingers.

“Would you like us to leave?” Radek whispered, catching Rodney’s eye.

“What? No, no of course not. Watch the movie.” Rodney’s eyes went back to the laptop screen and his fingers resumed stroking Sheppard’s hair.

Ten minutes later, Carson nudged Radek’s knee and nodded toward the bed. Rodney had slid deeper into the pillows and his eyes were half closed. Both Sheppard and Mince had rearranged themselves so they were still pressed against him.

“We will leave you to sleep.” Radek said, standing.

Rodney blinked at him sleepily. “Oh, yeah, sorry, guess we’re tireder than I thought. All night coughing is not conducive to sleep.” He made an effort to push himself up, but stopped when Sheppard muttered something and Mince mewed pitifully. “Take the laptop, you can finish watching the movie in one of your rooms.”

Radek did not think this was even part of Rodney’s ongoing efforts to set him up, but he still found himself blushing, “You are willing to trust us with priceless laptop?” He asked to cover his embarrassment.

Rodney had the decency to look a little sheepish. “It’s John’s.”

“Well, who are we to argue with such selfless generosity?” Carson muttered sarcastically, unplugging the laptop and picking it up, “Radek?”

“I…” Radek glanced at the bed, where his two friends and their cat-thing were curled together. He wanted that more than he’d realised. He joined Carson at the door. “Yes, sounds nice. My place or yours?”

“Mine?” Carson suggested as the door closed behind them, “It’s closer and I feel like I’m hefting precious cargo here.” He nodded toward the laptop under his arm and the wire wrapped around his shoulder. His shoulders, which Radek obviously did not spend many otherwise useful hours thinking about.

“Yes, that’s fine.”

Carson’s room was indeed closer, but still five corridors over and three floors up. When Radek chose his room right at the beginning of the expedition he thought it would be a good idea to have somewhere far away to hide from his strange, arrogant boss during his leisure hours. Now that Rodney was one of his closest friends in any galaxy he… still firmly agreed with that decision.

Inside his room, Carson set about plugging the laptop in then looked up to where Radek still stood in the doorway.

“It’s not as roomy as Rodney’s place,” he started, sounding apologetic.

Radek shook his head quickly, “It’s nice. I like it.” He tried a smile, and when Carson returned it he instantly felt more relaxed.

“Would you like a chair?” Carson looked around as if hoping one would miraculously appear. “I could get one…”

Radek went over to the bed. Unlike Rodney’s bed – unofficially Rodney and Colonel Sheppard’s bed – it was narrow and hard looking and pressed against one wall. Radek didn’t mind at all. “I think there is room for both of us here,” he said, feeling brave but not terribly so.

When Carson didn’t object he sat down on one side and drew his legs up under him. Carson joined him and they watched to the end of the movie, sitting side by side, Radek’s right side pressed against Carson’s left. Carson’s body gave off an incredible amount of heat.

When the credits rolled Radek found himself blinking at the screen. “That was surprisingly good.”

“Yes,” Carson’s voice sounded thick and when Radek turned to look at him he found him wiping beneath his eyes with a finger.

Radek looked back at the screen.

“So, I, er, I suppose you want to go to bed?” Carson asked when the laptop went dark.

“Not really,” Radek turned his head again and found Carson looking at him. Radek blinked but didn’t look away. “Actually, I am not at all tired. It must be the caffeine fumes Rodney emits.”

Carson laughed, but when he didn’t say anything Radek started to babble.

“Obviously, though, you are tired, I am sure. I should let you rest…”

He started to get up, but stopped when Carson put a hand on his arm. The hand was removed when Radek settled back down onto the bed.

“I’ve got some other films, if you’re interested?” Carson said hesitantly.

Radek smiled, “What have you got?”

“Umm. Now, there’s a question. Science fiction probably, unless you’ve had enough of that? God knows our lives are science fiction. Though maybe we should watch more, it might have some clues how to deal with the Wraith…”

Now Carson was babbling. It was bad that that made Radek feel much better.

“We do not have to watch a movie,” he said, looking directly at Carson.

Carson’s tongue flicked his own lips, “No?”

“We could talk.”

Carson blinked, then his eyes locked onto Radek’s again. “Aye, we could. Er,” the tongue thing was very distracting, “What about?”

Radek shook his head slightly, Carson’s lips were five inches from his own, and now wet and glistening. “I cannot think of anything,” he swallowed, “Perhaps we could just kiss?”

Carson blinked again, and Radek remembered why he sometimes hated his brain.

Then Carson leant forward and pressed his mouth briefly to the corner of Radek’s, “That’s a fine idea,” he said and this time it was Radek’s lips he licked.  



End file.
